
Erwin Malicsi
English 51
Dogs and Cats
I am going to compare and contrast the similarities and differences 
between dogs and cats. The similarities are innumerable, yet this 
holds true with the differences as well. First, we shall discuss the 
similarities that these two creatures share. One of the most obvious 
similarities between these two animals is that they both have hair. 
They are also domesticated animals kept as pets. They require love 
and affection from their owner, and can show love and affection If 
you show it towards them. 
Another thing is that when you pet them, not only does it 
relieve stress, it gets dog or cat hair everywhere. They both give 
birth to multiple offspring at one time, which must be very hard on the 
mother. Now that I am finished with my explanation of the similarities 
between dogs and cats, I will now discuss with you the differences 
between these two majestic animals.
One of the main differences is that of their species. The 
cats belong to the family of felines. Dogs, on the other hand, are 
canines. Another difference is that dogs are pack animals, which 
means you should spend lots of time with your dog so that it doesn�t 
get lonely. Cats are loners, meaning they can spend alot of time 
alone without getting lonely. Another big difference is the sounds 
that they make. A dog goes woof, bark, growl, or howl. A cat, on the 
other hand, goes meow and purr. 
The canine group also has a peticular social status, and how 
they determine their ranks.Cats don�t have any.The determining 
factor in dogs is the tail. When a cat holds it�s tail up, it means it is 
happy, but in dogs, how high they hold their tail is how they 
determine ranks. If one dog meets another dog, and one holds it's 
tail up, it is the one of the higher social class. Another difference is 
that cats are nocturnal, meaning they go out at night. Dogs, however, 
are day animals.
Another very obvious difference between dogs and cats is 
that dogs are usually bigger than cats. Cats are usually scared of 
dogs, and the dogs usually chase the cats. Dogs are also 
somewhat smarter than cats in the area of verbal command. For 
example, you can call your dog by name and usually it will come to 
you, unlike a cat. Also, you can train dogs to do tricks when 
commanded. Some of the most commonly seen tricks in dogs are 
role over, fetch, shake hands, sit down, lay down, and play dead. I 
have never seen a cat do any of these things, and I doubt that I ever 
will get an opportunity to see a cat perform even one of these tricks. 
Another difference in claws is that a cats claws are 
retractable, while dog�s aren�t. For example, when my dog Busta was 
a little puppy, it�s claws were sharp, but since they are not 
retractable, they were ground down so they aren�t sharp any more. A 
cat, on the other hand, is born with sharp claws, but they are kept 
inside until they are needed, there by making it so they don�t get dull 
by just walking, like dog�s claws do. 
And finally, they both have tongues, a cat�s tongue has little 
barbs, or hooks, that are used to get every last bit of meat off of a 
bone. So a cat can just lick a bone, and the meat will come off. A 
dog doesn�t have barbs on it�s tongue, a dog uses it�s tongue to 
sweat. Have youever wondered why on a hot summer day a dog 
usually has it�s tongue hanging out? Well the reason is that it is just 
sweating. Those are the differences and similarities in dogs and 
cats.
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Words: 635
